Parents are paying as much as $35 an hour for 'Fortnite' coaches for their kids

Kaylee Fagan,

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10:28 am PDT, Wednesday, August 1, 2018

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Parents Are Hiring 'Fortnite' Tutors for Their Children Apparently not all parents are annoyed about their children's addiction to video game, Fortnite. Some just want to make sure their kids are winning. According to 'The Wall Street Journal' parents are paying as much as $20 an hour to pay 'Fortnite' tutors. They say their children are feeling pressure not just to play with their friends, but to also succeed. Coaches charge anywhere from $50 for four hours and hire out their services on websites like Gamer Sensei. The WSJ adds that sometimes, the parents wind up taking lessons themselves.

Media: Wibbitz

Parents are paying "Fortnite: Battle Royale" coaches to work with their children, reports the Wall Street Journal.

They hope that these coaches will lead to college scholarships, e-sports careers, or at least some prize money.

Coaches charge as much as $35 an hour.

The same way that some kids get music or tennis lessons, the Wall Street Journal has found several parents who pay private "Fortnite: Battle Royale" coaches to help their child excel at the popular video game.

“There’s pressure not to just play it but to be really good at it,” one mother from Winchester, England told the Journal. “You can imagine what that was like for him at school.

The Journal spoke with several parents who have paid for private "Fortnite" lessons for their children. Some of those parents are hoping that their kids will turn their hobbies into lucrative e-sports careers, a college scholarship — or, at least, a slice of "Fortnite" developer Epic Games' $100 million competitive prize pool.

Parents typically find Fortnite coaches for their children through social media or contracting sites. There are also dedicated coaching marketplaces like Gamer Sensei, which charges between $15 and $35 an hour for "Fortnite" lessons.

In Fortnite, players communicate and play with one another while trying to survive on the multi-terrained island they've been dropped on.

In Fortnite, players communicate and play with one another while trying to survive on the multi-terrained island they've been dropped on.

Photo: Bloomberg Photo By Andrew Harrer

Photo: Bloomberg Photo By Andrew Harrer

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In Fortnite, players communicate and play with one another while trying to survive on the multi-terrained island they've been dropped on.

In Fortnite, players communicate and play with one another while trying to survive on the multi-terrained island they've been dropped on.

Photo: Bloomberg Photo By Andrew Harrer

Parents are paying as much as $35 an hour for 'Fortnite' coaches for their kids

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This new trend comes as a surprise to even the coaches, according to the report, because until recently, the only people investing in video game coaching were adult enthusiasts, or young people aspiring to go pro.

“My dad would have never paid for me to take video game lessons," Logan Werner, an 18-year-old Fortnite coach and professional gamer in Utah, told the WSJ.

But the parents shelling out for these lessons say that the practice is no different than investing in private tutors to help their children succeed in other activities, like basketball or chess.

Social media seems to think otherwise. Many Twitter users are disdainful of the idea, even as it's clear that it's a sign of the times.

Look. I like video games and all - and have called myself a "gamer" - but trainers for kids to get them better at Fortnite?! That's some serious distopian future stuff... ~ Ready, Aim, Hire a ‘Fortnite’ Coach: Parents Enlist Videogame Tutors https://t.co/don9PdGlHBpic.twitter.com/xr0RA105we